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Santa Rosa Police Arrest Man For Hit-And-Run That Critically Injures Pedestrian

SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- Police arrested a man suspected of hitting and critically injuring a pedestrian while driving under the influence in Santa Rosa early Sunday morning.

Officers were called around 12:20 a.m. to reports of a vehicle itting a pedestrian near the intersection of Guerneville Road and Coffey Lane in Santa Rosa, Sgt. Rich Celli said.

Police arriving on the scene did not find the vehicle involved but located the pedestrian, who was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, Celli said.

Officers learned from a 911 caller that an older-model car had hit the pedestrian and drove east away from the scene.

After a witness gave a description of a damaged vehicle seen driving in the area, an officer located a car at Steele Lane and Range Avenue matching that description, with major damage to its front end and windshield.

Police stopped the car and found evidence linking the car and its
driver to the hit-and-run collision.

Officers identified the driver as 30-year-old Christian Pena Ballesteros of Santa Rosa, who is on probation for a prior DUI conviction, according to Celli.

Ballesteros was arrested for committing an alleged felony hit-and-run, DUI and violating his probation.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision and expect eastbound lanes of Guerneville Road near Coffey Lane to remain closed throughout the early morning.

Anyone with information about the collision is asked to call Santa Rosa police Officer Dan Hackett at (707) 543-3636.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed)

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